businesses and corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news america." >> this is "bbc world news america." a welcome surprise -- the unemployment rate in america falls to its lowest level in nearly four years. and protesting the planned in pakistan at the growing use of unmanned drones -- protesting the plan in pakistan. >> bond. james bond. >> the spy with enduring appeal. 50 years after 007 hit the big screen, we look back at the man and his martinis.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and also around the globe. after months of gloomy financial news, tonight, some encouraging signs that america's economy is gaining momentum and creating more jobs. figures out today show unemployment has dropped to its lowest rate in almost four years. 12 million americans are still out of work, but falling unemployment has surprised most analysts. both barack obama and mitt romney were quick to seize on the numbers. here is our north america editor. >> snow in downtown denver slow down the rush hour, that millions of americans have no need form morning haste -- no need for morning haze. how to create more jobs has been central for this election. unemployment rose after barack obama became president, peaking at just over 10%. today's figure is the first time it has been under 8% for 44

months. >> this morning, we found out that the unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since i took office. [applause] >> the good news comes at the end of a bad week for the president where he was widely derided for a lackluster debate performance. now some feel he is back. >> we have made to much progress to return to the policies that led to the crisis in the first place. i cannot allow that to happen. i will not allow that to happen. that is why i am running for a second term as president of the united states. >> blaming unemployment on the president has been central to the case of republicans. >> under obama's economy, it is just not getting better. >> mitt romney told a rally that today's improvement did not mean much. >> the unemployment rate has come down very slowly but it has come down on the less. the reason is primarily due to the fact that more and more people have just stopped looking for work. i of the same share of people were participating in the

workforce today -- if the same share of people were participating in the workforce today as work when the president got elected, unemployment would be around 11%. that is the real reality. >> some believe he has got a point. >> hundreds of people are taking part-time work when they want full-time jobs. there are still tons of people who are out on the sidelines who have not been able to find their way back into the labor department. all these people are waiting for much bigger change to occur in the labor market. >> he would like to hire new people. he runs a small business in denver, but he is uncertain about the strength of the recovery. >> we are not to the point where we feel like we can put capital expenditures and to our business the way we really want to. we just do not know if it is the right timing right now. >> these figures may not make a huge difference, but they do help president obama. they stop the american media going on about his debate

performance and stop the idea that things are going generally in the right direction. the next set of figures may matter more -- they come out just four days before polling day. >> for more on the electoral impact of today's numbers, i spoke every time ago with the chief political columnist for politico. could president obama use these better than expected job numbers to recover from a lackluster debate? >> yes, and i think he is depending on it. it is not so much the exact 10th of a percentage point that makes a difference to people. it is how they feel about the figures. are they less worried now about losing their jobs, losing their health care perhaps, unable to pay off their college loans? do they feel more confident or less confident? do they feel the country is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?

naturally, do they feel that president obama is doing a good job or a bad job? these figures set things on a good path. it is hard to see this as bad news. >> mitt romney has based his whole campaign on the economy being weak. how does he respond? >> weekly. . we -- weakly. in every speech so far, he has said unemployment has been above 8%. that was his best line, and it was true, but now he cannot say that. what i imagine he will say is that these are not the true figures. the unemployment figure does not include those people who have given up looking for jobs, and there are millions of such people. that is true, but it is a bit of a hard sell when he has told people to pay attention to 8%. when it goes below 8%, suddenly saying that that does not matter

any more. >> opinion pollsters still have not made up their mind which way to vote. is the economy going to be the most important factor? >> in that it ships how they feel about the candidate. -- in that it shapes how they feel that the candidate. likability is always a huge factor. if you look at who wins in modern presidential races, in almost every contest, the more likable candidate has won. you could argue about the true likability of al gore versus the two likability of george of the bush, but in general, the more likable candidate wins. i'm not talking about who you want to have a beer with. i'm talking about who you can stand see on television for the next four years. >> we will be seeing them again in the second presidential debate. how important you think that is? >> extremely.

i think president obama will take it much more seriously. it will be a sign whether he asks bill clinton for help. bill clinton was not only a good debater, but he was almost demonic in his preparation. he debated for full 90-minute blocks endlessly. it is very hard to get a candidate to do a 90-minute block. they will do five minutes here, 15 minutes here. you do it endlessly and watch the video tapes and say, "was that gesture correct? was my facial expression right? should i look at him? should i look away?" you need to do that because this is a performance you are giving. >> we look forward to that. thank you very much. now to jordan where the biggest political demonstration in years has taken place. thousands of people answer the call of the muslim brotherhood and took to the streets

demanding political reform, but they stopped short of calling for the monarchy to give up its role in jordanian politics. >> this is the famous old mosque. it has become a focal point for those protesters calling for widespread democratic changes in their country. so far, the protests have been peaceful and vocal. people appealing directly to the king to delay of not reform what they see as a corrupt parliamentary system. they want new elections. they want a more representative system. thus far, jordan has avoided the kind of political turmoil and violence you have seen in other countries, libya, egypt, tunisia, neighboring syria, and many are worried that the violence we have seen in the north in syria might be repeated here in jordan. there has been no sign of that so far, and certainly, there are

no calls for the monarchy to step down. >> we want a government who will talk to the people. parliament must be chosen by the people of jordan. we are not against a king. we are protesting the way that the government and the parliament is performing. >> as many as 10,000 people took part in the protests today. the protests were by and large peaceful. at one stage, it seemed there were almost as many police and soldiers as protesters. we have seen at the tensions that have led to so much bloodshed, and that is perhaps why the muslim brotherhood, which was behind today's to ministration, said it will take part in the electoral process if the king delivers the electoral

reforms he has processed. >> from protests in jordan to libya now where this week, a team of fbi agents arrived in benghazi to investigate the assault on the u.s. embassy last month in which four americans were killed. it comes at the same time state department e-mails were being revealed showing a request for the u.s. security team in benghazi, which was denied. >> according to these e-mails, they wanted to keep hold of a plane, which they had in libya. they said that it was important for security support for them. it was denied by the state department, and today, the state department said the reason it was denied was because these plans are only in use in countries where there is no commercial airline available. it was based in iraq and taken

to libya, and as soon as commercial lenders came to libya, it was taken out. it probably would not have made a difference to what happened at the embassy, but it does raise questions about the procedures that were in place to help people escape any sort of situation of danger that they were put in. it is important to note that his plane was chartered from tripoli to benghazi to rescue those who were alive and take up the bodies as well. it does raise questions. >> how do you expect these e- mails to play out? >> as i said, it seems that the narrative that something went really, really wrong in the embassy in tripoli at the consulate in benghazi -- there were allegations that there were lapses, that security procedures

were not followed correctly, that suggest the needs of the team on the ground were not met. there's a lot of politics as well. this is election season, and republicans will use this to demonstrate the obama administration's failure when it comes to believe. the state department will buy back and say they did everything they could, but some of the violence can be unpredictable. >> one way the u.s. is trying to combat terrorism is through the use of drones -- unmanned aircraft. it has been a dramatic increase in drawn strikes inside pakistan by the afghan border. the u.s. says it is targeting militants. human rights groups say innocent civilians have died. he says the attacks are an illegal violation of pakistan's 70 -- sovereignty. >> in the sky overhead, day and

night. in pakistan's tribal belt, there's no escape from cia drones and no knowing where they will strike. this was one of america's big victories -- a strike in june that killed al qaeda's second in command. we met some of those on the receiving end who beg to differ. between them, they have lost 12 relatives -- all civilians, they insist. >> when i saw their bodies in pieces, my heart wanted revenge. it still does. the remote control killers are president obama's weapon of choice, not only in pakistan.

critically, they hunt down the enemy without boots on the ground, but one former british soldier with firsthand experience says drones make it too easy to kill. james jeffrey was in afghanistan in 2009, monitoring live pictures from a drone. he saw what looked like a man planting a roadside bomb and was about to call in a strike. then, someone else appeared. >> the individual who walked up was a lot larger, and it indicated that it was a child in the middle of the road just playing. obviously, at that point, the invasion was called off. it was an unsettling experience because i had come fairly close to engaging that target, which was a child. >> at the forefront of opposition to the drums, the former trickling hero who now heads a political party. this weekend, he hopes to lead a protest all the way to the tribal areas.

he told us the drones are backfiring. >> by the decrease in the number of militants? i the winning the war? everything is getting worse. there is more extremism in pakistan today than ever in our history. >> this lawyer from the legal charity reprieve is collecting missile fragments for use in court actions by the wounded and the bereaved. >> the price is too high. the price is a large number of civilians being killed and a lasting part of the population which is terrorized. >> washington insists the price is worth paying, but critics say these missiles are now a recruiting tool for militants. >> the impact of u.s. drone's strikes in pakistan. you are watching "bbc world news america."

still to come -- fast cars, gorgeous girls. the secret agent turns 50. we look back at the james bond legacy. south africa's mining dispute has taken another twist. today, the world's largest platinum producer has sacked 12,000 south african workers. >> south africans have been watching these strikes unfold from the sidelines. today, these barricades have culminated in the death of 12,000 miners. for over three weeks now, these miners, supported by the local community, have been demanding a wage increase. the illegal strikes continue.

today, one person was killed, but it is not clear why and by whom. it seems the shooting of 34-5 -- since the shooting of 34 miners, the security forces have maintain heavy forces. consequently, there's still a deep sense of mistrust between the strikers who continue to carry their traditional weapons and the police. in some instances, the tension escalates to near breaking point. the police are determined not to have a repeat of what happened. they disarmed the minors whenever an opportunity presents itself. they say the strike has cost them 39 ounces of platinum in production.

south africans are hoping that these strikes will come to an end soon. the country is desperately in need of the nelson mandela magic of peace and reconciliation. >> as we have been reporting, the u.s. unemployment rate has fallen below 8% for the first time in almost four years. it is an encouraging sign, especially for middle-class families struggling to make ends meet. but even those who have jobs can still find the cost of living too high. tonight, we return to pennsylvania with david finds more and more families are relying on food handouts. >> this morning at the food pantry in suburban pennsylvania, the line is still long. among the people is cindy, who

is here for the first time this year. sometimes her husband can get work and she can make ends meet. sometimes, he cannot. >> sometimes i come and i think i may be contributing. maybe tomorrow i will be fine. >> here, most of the help does not come from government or big charity. it comes from neighbors. today, volunteers from the bucks county housing group gave food to 75 families. >> four or five years ago, we would feed maybe 30 or 40 families in a day. we would never see 75 in one day. the other thing that is interesting is to see the amount of new families that come in. we had 11 new families, 11 families that have never use a

food pantry before at all coming in for the first time. >> the majority of families come from nearby levitown. these days, quiet suburban streets can hide a tough reality. denise lost her job when the recession came. her husband works, but it is not enough to cover the cost of living, so she goes to the food pantry every week. >> i felt embarrassed. i came to realize that everybody there is just like you. they all have a story. they all have kids. they all tried to find jobs, and it is not so embarrassing any more. it is what you have to do. >> people like denise exemplify the suburban struggles here. she has a house, a car,

decorations in the yard. she is not homeless or destitute. she just needs help. >> it is so important. a lot of my friends and even my family -- my mom had to go, and she could not believe that she had to go. i said if that is what you have to do to live, then that is what you have to do. >> from struggles to escapism now, and a man who loves girls, gadgets, fast cars, and crime. i am talking of course about james bond. the cinematic secret agent just turned 50. 007 first burst on screen in the film "dr. no" in 1962. 50 years later, he is as popular as ever. >> the title sequence that can mean only one thing. >> mister?

>> bond. james bond. >> sean connery playing 007 50 years ago in the first installment of what has become one of cinema's most successful franchises of all time. the actors playing bond might have changed, but the man and his tastes have not. fast cars, high-tech gadgets, exotic locations, and the glamorous women. >> i can assure you my intentions are strictly honorable. >> it is an amazing thing it has lasted so long. it is so neat -- unique and such a special thing within movie- making that i cannot help but feel incredibly proud to be part of it. >> time we said goodbye to an uninvited guest. >> bond is a contradictory

character. charming but deadly, a rebel who works the establishment, a man of exquisite manners hinged -- tinge with a brutal street. -- tinged with a brutal streak. that is part of the appeal. and in every country, everybody knows about james bond. >> for early audiences, james bond was an antidote to post- war austerity, a jet-setting fantasy figure, a sophisticated western spy who could outsmart the baddies of the eastern block. >> this features many of the ingredients that made the franchise so successful -- the

humor, the power play with a nasty villain, and always a vicious henchman. now i'm here, and thinking i would like to have a round of golf. >> can we get going here? >> but does this action man actually bear any resemblance to reality? >> there are many women now working in our intelligence services at the shop, and there are not many men like james bond, so let's have a woman james bond, a jane bond, if you like. >> the bond films launched the careers of some actors and made stars of others. >> time for some bond boys, i

say. that brings are close to a show. you can find all our stories on our website. thanks for watching. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide

capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet

- hi, neighbor! i'm going to share something special at school today. i can't wait to show you what it is! and then, we're having dinner... at a restaurant! and you're coming, too! i'll be right back! is made possible in part by... the richard king mellon foundation. dedicated for over sixty years to south western pennsylvania's quality of life, and competitive future. and by these pittsburg foundations. working together to enhance and enrich the lives of children for more than seventy-five years. and by the arthur vining davis foundations. dedicated to strengthening america's future through education. adcasting, dedicated to strengthening america's future and contributions to your pbs station, from viewers like you.

in the neighborhood ♪ and contributions to your pbs station, ♪ a beautiful day for a neighbor ♪ ♪ would you be mine, could you be mine ♪ ♪ won't you be my neighbor? - ♪ it's daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ ♪ a land of make-believe ♪ won't you ride along with me? ♪ - ♪ ride along - ♪ it's daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ ♪ so much to do, so much to see ♪ ♪ won't you ride along with me? ♪ - ♪ ride along - ♪ i've got lots of friends for you to meet ♪ ♪ in this land of make-believe ♪ a friendly face on every street ♪ ♪ just waiting to greet you ♪ it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ♪ ♪ a beautiful day for a neighbor ♪ ♪ in daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ - hi, neighbor! i'm so excited! today is my turn to take something to school for show and tell! that means i get to bring something in to school and show my friends.